NapsFan

My wife and son were in the parade. I loved seeing 25th shut down and lined with booths and people. i agree with the other sentiments that there should be a festival like that every year. As far as Sunday market hours, a good key to understanding why there is resistance is understanding that it isn't a grocery store. I used to wish for them as well, but after shopping there as my primary source for produce, dairy and meats for the past 8 years, I see the vendors points--which are varied.

Wow! They had me at "beer garden". Seriously though, those suggestions look fantastic and really seem to cater to a lot of different tastes while not losing anything that exists there now. I love the reincorporation of the "blue hill" as well. The illustrations and layout of the PDF is outstanding. All planners and designers with future presentations need to take a look at how it's done!

Good point! The 30 years of neglect does negate the 140 years that the Stanley Block has stood, all that has happened there and the solid, beautiful architecture that can't be replicated today. We should feel honored to allow the expansion of this historic and culturally enriching parking deck that has only fallen down once in it's first year of existence.

The Rod & Gun Club had the door open during Taste of Tremont, but a rope or something keeping random people from wandering in. You could see a row of pretty fishing rods lined up along the wall, but no guns. Other than that, I have never seen it "open" and pass it multiple times a day. I suspect you're right that it's an inside joke type thing.

I hope that is true that an established high-end hotelier wants to renovate this beautiful building. I've been inside a few times and feel that 200 rooms might be a stretch if they plan to retain the historic interior including high ceilings, hallways and transoms. Now all we need to do is convince CMSD to stop demolishing the other beauties they have in their holding (Audubon, John Marshall. etc...)

That front doorway is a dead giveaway that the house has historic value. It's shocking to me that a house like that can persevere because I have firsthand knowledge of the interiors of most of those homes. I lived a couple houses down a decade ago while attending Kent State. By and large, the landlords are into minimal maintenance and the tenants are just happy to make rent and not get too many noise violations. With that said, the City of Kent and the people that live there have done little to maintain the historic housing stock. Beautiful early 19 century mill houses just off Depeyster were demolished via eminent domain to make way for the "brick block" office/retail compounds with little opposition. It does not surprise me that these neglected beauties on College and Willow are getting swept up in the college bubble as well. And trust me, the college building boom is the first sign that the bubble is about to burst. (There is allegedly shortage of people with math and science degrees, but there are scores of unemployed Leisure Studies majors from reputable Midwest schools who funneled their tuition money seemingly toward a useless degree but actually into vastly improving campuses [see Kent, Akron, CSU., etc..] for the future gain of the institution and not necessarily themselves.) Don't get me wrong, I find the improvements exciting and fascinating, but when you bulldoze historic homes or buildings, it's just foolish.

Because the anchor store is halfway through it's shelf life and will abandon ship before the tax incentives run dry. The roof already leaks in several spots (point being that it wasn't built to last much longer then 10 years.) I don't think large-scale national retail is a viable business model for the health of this city, but I'm sure a dozen of you can easily point out to me that I am wrong in the course of the next day or two. Time will tell.

The Steelyard Best Buy was always dead with the staff outnumbering customers three to one on an average weekday. When Best Buy announced the national closing, I though immediately of that location. I think the WalMurt, Home Depot and Target likely make their numbers, but was surprised the best Buy stuck around as long as it did. There are still a bunch of open parcels down there, but I think that future stores would be foolish to build on them.

I try not to put too much faith in renderings, but those look fantastic! I can't wait to catch a game there again.

Does anyone know of a map, or a link to map, that shows the "East 9th extension" that will connect Broadway to Canal under the new span? It was mentioned in the PD today and I have seen the road being built, but due to detours haven't been able to get close enough to see how it connects into Broadway. Also, will Commercial Road stay open after the bridge is built? Link to today's PD article: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/02/new_inner_belt_bridge_rising_i.html

You're probably right, but do not use my post to discount the fact that this is the second major incident of the process of building casinos in the state. Same company, same problem. Once is an accident, twice is a problem--and don't pass this off to subcontractors. Rock Gaming should need to win back your confidence at this point. If this is the way they build, what else are they playing fast and loose with?

Apparently there is no curse, just shoddy construction. No one needs to root for the casinos to fail--they're doing it on their own.

Misshaped? It's the exact same lot that saw decades of historic baseball. The right field line was very short--pretty much a converse of Fenway Park in Boston. And no one says that Fenway isn't good for professional, let alone amateur, baseball. League Park is a big part of this city's rich history. We're lucky that the plot is still open and available to restore.

Can't wait to see the dirt fly in June!

West 25th between Lorain and Jay has all the excitement in Ohio City. New places are popping up every week these days. Professor Ave. in Tremont has the majority of eats and drinks, but not all, that Tremont has to offer. Tremont Lofts is a great place right off Professor with extended stay, but the parking is uncovered.

Thanks Dizzy! TWC, you're on notice!!

Having been there and given the aquarium a generally positive review, I would say most of the negative comments have merit and should be addressed. I imagine things like signage on tanks and water quality already are actively being fixed and are only going to improve. The criticism of the building and the layout of the aquarium are absurd with the exception of the unmarked exit through the gift shop. I think the layout and retrofit is one of the most interesting aspects of the place. This aquarium is not a big affair, but it is a great addition to Cleveland and I imagine most small children will enjoy it immensely despite what their "aquarist snob" parents may think.

Went to the sneak peak this morning with my 15 month-old and we enjoyed it. They way they fit the aquarium into the bottom floor is pretty impressive and the historic, solid nature of the building is used an asset. The shark tank is awesome with it's floor to ceiling windows. However, outside of a school of rays that swim overhead, the underwater walk is a bit underpopulated just yet. I expect there will be some negative reviews on a few issues this weekend, but hopefully people reserve their judgement until later (June?) when the water/glass clears up, the juvenile fish put on some weight and the staff figures out the routine. Considering that I bought the family pass sight unseen, I plan to go back several times. My initial impression is that it is perfect for small kids (as long as you can handle ditching your stroller for an hour or two.)

There's more than just Gilbert who aren't going to get forgiveness anytime soon for destroying that Cleveland Landmark. This isn't a vendetta, this is keeping bad development in check and the developers accountable for their promises. We need to learn from our mistakes as a city and listen when people criticize the next "silver bullet" that comes at the expense of our architectural and historical fabric.

The Tremont "House Crashers" episode airs Jan. 23rd on DIY Network. There's also a Cleveland Heights episode (a basement wine-bar, I think) that will air on the 16th.

Curse of the Columbia strikes again!

Speaking as someone with a 15 month-old child, I completely support the aquarium's decision to ban strollers. There's nothing worse than getting stuck behind an empty stroller. I don't see how they'd be conducive to the underwater walk anyway.

Curse of the Columbia! (Glad no one was hurt.)

I love that this thread is open again, but too bad that it comes only after the fate of the Columbia is sealed.

Once the pedestrian bridge is built, it will be crucial to limit the zones in which alcohol is permitted to keep the park from becoming a panhandler paradise. The amount of people taking advantage of the park as a destination to "party" seems to have reached capacity. I almost got hit by a quartet of bikers while cycling to Wendy Park in 2009. It was intentional and very scary. They all veered over to my side of the very narrow road with big drunken grins. I've enjoyed beers at Wendy Park many, many times but the fun ended for me that day. Enjoy the liberal alcohol policy while it lasts, because it's untenable as the number of visitors increases and demographic changes. Sorry volleyball people, but this park stopped being exclusively yours years ago. We all have to deal with losing the "golden age" of this park--whenever we personally think that was.